Most people who use the Web have become addicted to Google. Once, twice, three times a day for some people. Some people even Google themselves. Yet even heavy users may have just scratched the surface of what you can do with the search engine.
That's where Google: The Missing Manual comes in. Written by two editors at O'Reilly Media, Sarah Milstein and Rael Dornfest, the book takes users on a comprehensive tour of all the ways that you can take advantage of Google's technology and database. The book is fresh. The first edition was printed in May, 2004, and they managed a quick revision of the introduction to get news of GMail, Google's email service, and the Google IPO into print.
I always assumed that I was a Google expert, for going straight to the advanced search page at http://www.google.com/advanced_search?hl=en, rather than the classically simple front page at google.com. However, I underestimated what you can do with Google. I already knew about using Google as a dictionary ( see "A Living Dictionary" from last November's Blogcritics ) but you can also use it as a calculator, a phone book, a map, and to look up UPC codes, flight information, and stock quotes.
The most valuable part of the book to me was Chapter 2, on Superior Searching. It shows not only how to use advanced features, but also how to manipulate the Google syntax to get it to deliver what you want. This includes searching by titles, text, anchors, date range, file types and synonyms. It also introduces you to how you can set your own preferences as you use Google.
Lost in Translation
Among the many preferences you can set for Google is your choice of output languages. This not only includes all major and most minor languages, but also more fanciful ones including "Elmer Fudd" (pweferances), "Bork Bork Bork" (the language of the Swedish chef from The Muppets Show), Hacker, Klingon, and Pig Latin. Idly looking at the possibilities, I wondered what Yiddish would look like, assuming I would see things like schlep, schmuck, and so on. Well, that wasn't a wise move on my part, because it took me to a page of right-to-left Hebrew characters. I actually had to click on two different links before I figured which one took me back to my Preference page, which was also in Yiddish. Of course, looking at my Output language preferences, I had no idea what the Yiddish word for English was. So I blindly picked an option that I figured was somewhere around where English would alphabetically be on the list. Even if I didn't hit English, I figured I could eventually find a language (such as French or Spanish) where I could at least recognize the choice for English. I made my choice, clicked the button, and suddenly found myself at the page called "Pweferences". Luckily, I had picked the Elmer Fudd language, and was able to get back the rest of the way from there. (Actually, since the book had already told me that Google stores your preferences in a cookie on your computer, I also knew that I could probably delete any Google cookies on my computer to get me back to the default English page.)
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
that elmer fudd setting is killin me!
sizes for images are:
"laage", "meedy-um" and "Wittle"
2 - Jim Carruthers
Not only is Google a floor polish and desert topping, it's also a comedy show and best-selling book! Like doughnuts, is there anything it can't do?
3 - Mark Hasty
I have a regular feature on my site called "The Search Engine Answer Guy" where I take some of the weird Google queries (and they all come from Google) that have led people to my page, then try to answer them. I don't know how much fun it is to read, but it's a hoot to write!
4 - Eric Olsen
terrific review Bruce - I too thought I was something of a search engine expert because I am one searching mofo, but this is a whole different league. Thanks!
5 - Bruce Kratofil
That's right, Eric -- you may be able to do you search for Herman's Hermits lyrics much faster.
Unless, of course, you have all their lyrics memorized to begin with!